Can opener



May 9, 1961 Filed Sept 17, 1958 F. S. LAPlNSKl CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet1 A is t xx Q INVENTOR.

FRANK S. LAPINSKI 73%? his irromvsrs.

y 1961 F. s. LAPINSKI 2,983,039

CAN OPENER Filed Sept. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M F/G. 4.

/0 INVENTOR.

FRANK S. LAPINSKI ATTORNEYS United A States Pateut O CAN OPENER Frank S.Lapins ki, R.F.D., Winston Drive, Smithtown;

NhY. assignor to Joseph A. Cahil, New York, NY. Filed Sept. 17, 1958,Ser. No. 761,565 6 Claims. (Cl. 30-85) This invention relates to kitchenutensils and more particularly to an improved method of mounting a canopener of the general type represented in the US. Letters Patent No.2,718,055 in the name of Maximilian C. Frins.

The can opener shown and described in the above patent is of the typewherein a cutting mechanism is mounted tion. A base plate 10 isfastenedto the wall by meansof four screws 11-1-4 and supports a bracketarm 15 bymeans of a connection at 16. The arm 15 carries a sup: portingring 19 which may be cast integral therewith or secured to the arm byscrews 17 and 18. The arm 15 is attached to the plate 10 by a tenon andmortise jointat 16. The tenon37 is attached to the plate 10by screws asshown in Figure 3 fand is adapted to be received-in a down. The arm isprevented from moving upward by in a frame along with other kitchenutensils. The cutting mechanism is of the type comprising a feed wheel,a turning wing for rotating the feed wheel and a cutting edge. This typeof can opener is highly satisfactory for the average home where thedemand is for a can opener that is light in weight and transportable andwhich need be used only occasionally. Under some circumstances however adifferent type of can opener is needed. A restaurant kitchen, forexample, where a large number of cans have to be opened rapidly,requires a can opener which is large, sturdily built and is adapted tobe attached to a solid supporting surface for greater stability and easeof operation. Conventional can openers of the type used in commercialkitchens are generally unsatisfactory in that they can be attached toonly one type of supporting surface. That is, the conventional canopener is designed to be attached either to the side of a vertical wall,the top of a table or the underside of a shelf. This restriction resultsfrom the fact that the can to be opened and the cutting mechanismmustalways be in an upright position when the lid is removed. Theconventional can opener is therefore generally unsatisfactory sincethere are many occasions when it is desirable to mount the can-opener ina variety of positions for different purposes.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a can openerwhich can be mounted for right or left hand operation on surfaces invarious planes.

This and other objects of the invention are accomplished by providing acan opener comprising a casing enclosing a cutting mechanism for openingcans, a supporting arm which can be fastened on either the top or theunderside of a horizontal surface or on the side of a vertical wall, andmeans for fastening the supporting arm to the casing in such a mannerthat the casing may be rotated with respect to the supporting arm.

This invention may be better understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of thedrawing in which:

Figure l is a view showing a can opener mounted on the side of avertical wall for right hand operation;

Figure 2 is a view showing a can opener mounted on the side of averticalwall and rotated 180 from the position shown in Figure 1 forleft hand operation;

Figure 3 is a view showing a can opener mounted on the top side of ahorizontal surface;

Figure 4 is a view showing the can opener mounted on the underside of ahorizontal surface;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 5-5 of Figure4.

In Figure 1 there is shown a can opener constructed according to oneembodiment of the invention and fastened to the side of a vertical wallfor right hand operathe dovetailed sides of the joint as shown inFigures 1 and 2. Y

A casing 21 containing a cutting mechanism is attached to-the supportingring 19 by the four screws 22-25 and is comprised of two sections 48 and49 secured together by a screw. The cutting mechanism is assembledwithin the casing 21 and may be of a conventional type or it may be ofthe type described in the U.S. Letters Patent No. 2,718,055 in the nameof Maximilian C. Frins. The cutting mechanism shown is comprised mainlyof a cutterl53 and a feed wheel 45 which is attached to a handle 31' andknob 32 for turning the feed wheel. An arm26 is attached to the casing21 and supports a permanent magnet 27 in the manner shown in Figure '4.The magnet is attached to the arm by a shaft 28 having an enlarged head28' which is received within a recessed portion '28" of a slot 30'formed in the arm 26. A spring 29 forces the magnet down against the lidof the can to' be severed and maintains the head 28' within the recess28". The magnet is removed from the arm 26 by pushing the shaft'28 up'until the enlarged head clears the uppersurface of. the arm 26 and thenmoving the shaft along the slot 30 until the head is in line. with theopening 44, after :which it is removed downwardly through the opening.

Figure 2 is a drawing showing the can opener mounted on the side of avertical wall as in Figure 1 but with the base plate 10, the arm 15 andthe ring 19 displaced by an angle of 180 relative to the position shownin Figure 1 for left handed operation. The casing 21 is attached to thering 19 in the manner shown in Figures 2 and 5. The two sections 48 and49 of the casing are attached to the ring by the four screws 22-25 andare positioned in the ring by the two annular shoulders 51 and 52. Toadjust the cutting mechanism to an operative position, the four screws22 to 25 are removed from the holes 33-36 in the ring and the casing 21is then rotated with respect to the ring 19 until the cutting mechanismis in the proper cutting position. The four holes 33 to 36 are drilledat intervals on the circumference of a circle having its center on theaxis of rotation of the casing 21. Four similar holes are drilled andtapped in the casing 21 so that the screws 22-25 may be inserted throughthe ring and screwed into the casing'when the holes are properlyaligned. Since the holes are spaced symmetrical-1y about the axis ofrotation of the casing 21, there will be four positions for which theholes will be properly aligned. Therefore the arm 15 and ring 19 may bemounted in any one of four positions and the cutting mechanism may stillbe adjusted to its operating position. the can opener may be mounted onthe underside of a shelf, on top of a table or in two positions on theside of a wall for the convenience of both right handed and left handedpersons.

Figure 3 is a drawing showing the can opener mounted on the top side ofa horizontal surface. The casing 21 Consequently,

,3 3 in this position is displaced by an angle of 90 with respect to thering 19 from the position shown in Figure 2. In Figure 4 the can openeris mounted on the underside of a horizontal surface and the casing 21 isrotated 180 with respect to the ring '19 from the position shown inFigure 3.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, his apparent that changes and modifications may be madewithout. departing from this invention in its broader aspects. Forexample, instead of having only four screw holes in the ring and casingand therefore only four positions of the casing with respect to thering, there could be a larger number of operable positions or any otheradjustable fastening mechanism could be employed The ring and the easingcould be permanently attached together and both of them rotatablymounted on the supporting arm. Therefore the invention described hereinis not to be construed as limited save as is consonant with the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for openingcans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, asupport having a recess formed therein for said casing, means forfastening said support to a foundation, and means for fastening saidcasing to said recessed portion of said support in a manner such thatsaid casing may be angularly rotated 360 with respect to said support.2. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for openingcans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, asupporting ring, means for fastening said ring to a foundation, andmeans for fastening said casing to said ring in a manner such that saidcasing may be angularly rotated with respect to said ring.

3. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for openingcans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, asupport means for said casing, and means for fastening said casing tosaid support means in a manner such that said casing may be angularlyrotated 360 with respect to said support means.

4. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mech- 4 anism for openingcans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, asupporting ring attached to said casing by screws in amanner such thatthe casing is rotatably adjustable witlr-respect to said ring, asupporting arm, and means for fastening said arm to said ring.

5. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for openingcans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing,a'supporting ring, means for fastening said casingto said ring in amanner such that said casing may be angularly'rotated with respect tosaid ring, said fastening means comprising a plurality of holes drilledand tapped in said casing and said ring on the circumference of a circlehaving its center on the axis of rotation of said casing, said pluralityof holes being located symmetrically on the circumference of saidcircle, and a plurality of screws adapted to be screwed into said holesfor holding said casing and said ring together.

6. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for openingcans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, asupporting ring, means for fastening said ring to said casing in amanner such that said casing may be angularly rotated to varyingpositions with respect to said ring, said fastening means comprisingfour holes drilled and tapped on the circumference of a circle havingits center on the axis of rotation of said casing, said four holes beinglocated distant from each other on the circumference of said circle, andfour screws adapted to be screwed into said holes for holding saidcasing and said ring together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,204,368 Kublin June 11, 1940 2,263,604 Zirnmer Nov. 25, 1941 2,438,376Squires Mar. 23, 1948 2,591,155 Horstmann Apr. 1, 1952 2,617,185 Lehmannet al Nov. 11, 1952 2,624,110 Acker Jan. 6, 1953 2,694,855 Talge'et alNov. 23, 1954 2,718,055 Frins Sept. 20, 1955

